The Human Intelligence Podcast How AI Is Changing Intelligence Research | Dr. Stephen Hsu
Jan 30, 2026
Dr. Stephen Hsu, a physicist-turned-genomics researcher focused on polygenic scores and AI-assisted discovery. He discusses AI suggesting novel research formulations, using models for ideation and code, and risks of plausible but incorrect outputs. He also covers cultural views on genetic screening, training students in an AI world, and how nations can stay competitive in science and tech.
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Early Immersion In Intelligence Research
- Stephen Hsu discovered intelligence research as a child in Ames, Iowa, reading Terman, Galton, and Jensen in the university library stacks.
- That early exposure shaped his lifelong interest and later led him to apply physics and genomics to cognitive ability research.
Han Chinese Biobank Enables Broad Polygenic Predictors
- Taiwan Biobank yields ~1 million genotype+medical-record profiles, mainly Han Chinese, enabling polygenic predictors for many diseases comparable to European-trained models.
- This marks a major step toward precision medicine for the planet's largest ethnic group and broadens applicability of polygenic risk scores.
Behavioral Measures Missing In Taiwan Biobank
- The Taiwan data set currently lacks cognitive and personality measures, limiting immediate behavioral genetics work on IQ and personality there.
- Stephen Hsu suggests future access to college entrance exam records could enable cognitive phenotype analyses for Han Chinese populations.